Govt to close special accounts for Malawi army, police

Malawi’s Finance, Economic Planning and Development Minister, Goodall Gondwe, has said government will close  the special accounts  for the army and police.

Gondwe said in parliament when opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) MP for Lilongwe Msozi South, Vitus Dzoole Mwale, asked government to open a special account for parliament “as it the same with the Judiciary and Executive.”

But the Finance Minister shot down Mwale’s statement, calling it “gross misunderstanding” of how the finances of the country are being run.

“The Judiciary does not have its own account. The Executive does not have its own account. By its own account, I think is that those institutions operate outside the ambit of the Accountant General when cheques are being issued,” explained Gondwe.

Gondwe said Dzoole Mwale “erred” in saying that the Judiciary and Executive have their own accounts, stressing “that is not quite true.”

The Minister said only three institutions have special accounts and these are State Residences, Malawi Defence Force and the Malawi Police.

He said the two accounts of army and police will be shut down.

The decision to close the accounts, he said, was made following the financial malfeasance in the two security organs related to the cashgate scandal.

“Our view is that it is better under the reforms that all institutions should be treated equally as far as administration of the finances is concerned,” he said.